Almost every storage facility advertises a price with the word "from" in front of it. Across the 5,554 US facilities where we hold a starting rate, the median is $37 a month. The median US 10x10, which is the size most people actually want, is $78.
That gap is not a trick. It is worth understanding before you call, because it decides which facilities are worth your time.
What the starting price is
The advertised figure is the cheapest unit on the site. Usually that is a 5x5 locker, sometimes an upper floor unit reached by a lift, sometimes a single odd shaped space nobody else wanted. It tells you where a facility's pricing begins, not what your unit costs.
Across US listings those starting rates spread out like this: a quarter begin at $22 or below, half are under $37, three quarters are under $60, and one in ten starts above $90.
What actually moves your price
Size is the biggest factor and the easiest to get wrong in your own favour. People underestimate what they own, then pay twice, once for the unit and once for the second trip.
Ground floor and drive up access carry a premium at most facilities, because you can back a vehicle to the door. The same size upstairs is usually the cheaper line on the price list.
Climate control adds to the rate wherever it exists. It is offered at 54% of the facilities we list, so in most towns you are choosing between a controlled unit and a cheaper standard one rather than being forced into either.
How to use the advertised number
Treat it as a filter, not a quote. A facility advertising $22 and one advertising $60 are telling you where they sit in their local market, and that ordering usually holds across their whole price list. Then ask for the rate on the size you need, and ask what the administration fee and the insurance requirement add on top.
How we got these numbers
Counted from the 11,482 facilities listed on StorageAtlas across 46 states and provinces. US and Canadian rates are reported separately and never averaged together, because a blended median of two currencies is not a number anyone can use. Each figure says how many units it rests on and how many separate facilities those came from, so you can see that no single operator's price list is carrying it. Prices are what each facility published on its own website on the day we last read it, which makes them a dated reading rather than a quote. We hold no vacancy data, so nothing here says whether a unit is free today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the advertised storage price so much lower than my quote?
The advertised price is the cheapest unit on site, normally a 5x5 locker or an upper floor space. The median US starting rate is $37, while the median US 10x10 is $78.
Are storage starting prices a bait and switch?
Not usually. The cheap unit generally exists. It is small, and there are often only one or two of them, so it may be gone by the time you call.
What gets added to the monthly rate?
Most facilities charge a one time administration fee at move in, and many require contents insurance, either theirs or your own. Ask for both before you sign.
Does a first month free offer change the ongoing rate?
No. A move in promotion discounts the first period and the standard rate resumes after it. Ask what the rate becomes in month two and whether it is held for any length of time.
